Popular Gold Coast-based jockey dies after race fall

Jockey Ashlee Mundy has died after a fall at the Kurow races in New Zealand.

Mundy had been flown to Dunedin Hospital in a critical condition after the fall in race seven at Kurow, North Otago, yesterday. She died in hospital today, a spokeswoman confirmed about 10.40am.

The 26-year-old had returned to New Zealand a couple of weeks ago from Queensland, to ride on the South Island's summer circuit. The former Cantabrian was a freelance jockey at the Gold Coast Turf Club, where she had been expected to return in February.

Mundy had spent Christmas Day with her parents in Westport. "It's the first Christmas I've had with them for 10 years," she said in an interview on Boxing Day.

The jockey had been working at Kenny and Lisa Rae's Riccarton stable in Christchurch during her stay.

According to NZ Racing, Mundy had ridden 232 career winners here, including four in listed races. She was due to race at Waikouaiti tomorrow.

Malcolm Little, general manager of GallopSouth, told SEN radio Monday that Mundy was "well-loved by everyone in the industry", and the New Zealand racing fraternity was shocked by the loss of such a "friendly, bubbly personality".

Glenn Prentice, President of the Queensland Jockeys' Association, said Mundy had been riding on the Gold Coast since 2009, and had moved to live there last year. She rode many horses for renowned trainer Bevan Laming.

He said a sports pyschologist would be counselling peers of the "well-liked" Mundy.

He said that a senior jockey had reacted to the death by saying "we love what we do, but it takes something like this to remember just how dangerous it is".

In December 2011, jockey Kristy Banks suffered a fall at Toowoomba which led to injuries which left her a paraplegic.

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The CEO of the Australian Jockeys' Association Paul Innes recently praised the appointment of a new Occupational Health and Safety Officer in New South Wales, by providing a stark reminder of the profession's hazards.

"Each year four or five jockeys will suffer a permanent disabling injury and tragically over the next decade we can expect 12 to 15 jockeys to die on the job in Australia."

A service for Ashlee Mundy will be held in West Port New Zealand this Friday.